Magdaleno Rose-Avila is the first director of Seattle’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. He was selected by Mayor Mike McGinn for his decades of experience working with diverse communities in pursuit of human rights.

The son of immigrant parents, Rose-Avila went to work at age 11 in Colorado’s onion fields. He advanced as an organizer and spokesman for Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers Union and would later serve as the first executive director of the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation.

Rose-Avila has been the Peace Corps’ Country Director for four nations, held leadership positions at Amnesty International, and co-founded organizations to abolish the death penalty and teach non-violence to youth gang members.

Now he brings his expertise and passion to serving Seattle’s immigrant and refugee communities.